20 Maret 2015

RMAF Hands Over 12 Nuri Choppers To Army

20 Maret 2015

Sikorsky S-61A of the Malaysian Army (photo : Malaysian Army)LANGKAWI (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) today handed over 12 of its upgraded Sikorsky S61A-4 helicopters to the Malaysian Army at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace 2015 (LIMA'15) Exhibition here.Chief of Air Force Gen Datuk Seri Roslan Saad handed over the aircraft, better known locally as Nuri helicopters, to Chief of Army Gen Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor at a ceremony that was witnessed by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.Raja Mohamed Affandi said the helicopters would be used for army operations and not search-and-rescue.The helicopters were still at the RMAF base in Butterworth and would be moved to the RMAF base in Kuantan because the army also operated from the same bases, he said.The Nuri helicopters have been in the service of the RMAF for 48 years, and each aircraft has completed 14,000 hours of flying. RMAF has 38 of these aircraft.Hishammuddin said the handing over of the 12 helicopters was a historic occasion and, personally, a nostalgic moment for him as the decision to purchase the helicopters 48 years ago was made by his father, the late prime minister Tun Hussein Onn.(Bernama)